Christmas Spirits
by LittleBooLost
Summary: It's the Holby Hospital Christmas Party, but not everyone is feeling festive. In fact, some feelings are getting a bit out of hand... Includes some Holby City characters. (The summary is terrible, but the real thing is much better, I promise;))


**A/N: Just a random idea I had. Can't really explain it, so read and if you're feeling really lovely, you can give me a review for Christmas;) xx –Ciara/LittleBooLost**

The night was drawing in steadily, and the Holby Christmas party was in full swing. Despite the festive atmosphere, tensions were running high: Zoe and Connie had been at each other's throats all day, and now there was a considerable chance that one may kill the other before the clock struck midnight.

And so, in order to keep that from happening, Zoe's closest friends (Ash, Tess, Charlie and Dylan) had taken to ensuring that the two women were kept firmly on opposite sides of the room.

That didn't stop them from glaring and making obscene, murderous gestures whenever they made eye contact, though.

'Come on Zoe, please, just ignore her!' Charlie was practically begging, pressing yet another tall glass of wine into the brunette's hand. 'At least try and have fun.'

Zoe took a huge sip from her glass. 'I can't, though! She keeps staring at me!'

'Well, turn your back then.' Tess inputted.

'Like that's going to work.' Zoe rolled her eyes, but she obediently rotated to face her friends.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Connie's friends were taking a slightly different approach. Jac and Michael seemed to find the feud between the two doctors absolutely hilarious, and fell about laughing whenever Connie spotted Zoe, and proceeded to drag her finger across her throat. Throughout the course of the night, they had been gifting her alcoholic after alcoholic drink in the hopes of getting some real entertainment this year.

When he noticed their behaviour, Elliot shot Jac and Michael a warning look. 'Stop it, both of you. She doesn't need encouraging.'

'Oooo-oooh!' Jac taunted. She was almost as drunk and hyperactive as Connie. 'Getting annoyed, are we?' Elliot's frown deepened and she relented. 'I'm joking. You know they're not really going to get in a fight, don't you?'

'Well, don't be so sure.' Michael butted in, his large hand now clamped around Connie's skinny wrists to prevent her from sticking her middle fingers up at Zoe again. 'This could be the year.'

"The year?!" Connie repeated incredulously, pulling her hands free and making speech marks in the air a little too enthusiastically. Rather drunkenly, she wobbled on her heels and stumbled into Michael's arms. 'You say that every year!'

'I think he actually means it this time though, my dear' Elliot muttered. Before Connie could challenge him, the scent of sausage rolls reached his nostrils and he toddled off in the direction of the snack table.

'No, but remember' Connie hiccuped slightly and righted herself, jabbing a finger into Michael's chest. 'When Jac first came here, you predicted that we'd end up fighting at the Christmas party but we didn't!' She flung her arm over Jac's shoulder, and the taller woman responded by wrapping her own arm around Connie's waist, pulling her in closer. 'And now, Jac Naylor is my best friend.'

The two doctors relaxed in each other's embrace for a few minutes, before Connie noticed Zoe watching. 'She's looking at us!' The brunette yelped, pulling out of Jac's clutches. 'She wants a fight! Come on!' Connie began to march - or rather, wobble - across the room, and Jac followed her eagerly.

Zoe, along with everybody else in the room heard the battle cry. She deposited her twelfth glass of wine of the night in Dylan's hands, and stormed over to where Connie and Jac were fast approaching.

Before any violence of any kind could take place, Guy Self appeared in the centre of the three women. 'Right. Zoe - Connie, I've had enough of your rivalry. It ends now.'

'But it's only just beginning!' Jac exclaimed, indignation slewn across her face.

'Ms Naylor, this doesn't not concern you!' Guy roared. He and Jac glared at one another for a moment before Jac backed down, and slunk off to stand with Michael.

Guy turned his attention back to the two remaining women in front of him. He was well aware of the rest of the faculty watching, but welcomed it - what he had planned would be suitable entertainment for them, and suitable punishment for Connie and Zoe. 'It seems that despite the many attempts of your colleagues keeping you apart, you two can't leave each other alone for five minutes. If that's the case, you'll be glad to know that for the rest of tonight and tomorrow, you won't have to stray from each other's side.'

For the briefest second, Connie and Zoe exchanged confused looks. However, that was quickly replaced by horror when Guy grabbed Zoe's wrist and snapped one half of a set of handcuffs around it, then attaching the other to Connie's.

'What the hell, Guy?!' Connie screamed, stepping as far away from Zoe as physically possible, and Zoe did the same.

'You heard me. Now you don't need to worry about being kept on separate sides of the room.' Guy smirked, as the rest of the staff burst into fits of laughter.

/

'I hate him. I _hate _him. I actually hate him!' Twenty minutes later, everybody had gotten over what would in years to come would be known as 'The Handcuffs Affair', and had more or less left Connie and Zoë to it. Now, Zoë was muttering to herself in a volume she perceived as quiet. Originally, in a half-hearted attempt at sulkiness she'd attempted to cross her arms, but that had pulled Connie in a bit too close for comfort. Now, her free arm was folded across her chest while the cuffed one was held out akimbo – allowing her as much as distance as was physically possible from Connie.

'Oh, for once in your life, change the record!' Connie hissed. She was trying to prise the cuff around her right wrist open but it was proving to be difficult – not only because she had to use her left hand, but also because the handcuffs were quickly turning out not to be the kind you bought in joke shops. 'These can't be real, surely?' She muttered to herself.

Zoë rolled her eyes in disgust. 'No, they're completely imaginary.'

'Shut up, will you?'

'Well, I wouldn't be surprised if they're legitimate handcuffs! Guy's brother works in the police force, you know. Maybe he gave them to him.' Zoë explained, making what she thought was a fair point – but Connie still looked confused.

'Why would Guy need handcuffs?' Connie wondered, internally scrolling through different scenarios where handcuffs would be a pivotal item in the life of Guy Self. Zoë watched her silently, waiting for the penny to drop. After about thirty seconds it did, and Connie clamped a hand over her mouth. 'Oh god. Oh no. No, I don't want to think about that!' She pressed her palm harder against her lips, throwing up in her mouth a little. 'Ugh, that's disgusting. It doesn't even bear thinking about…'

Out of nowhere, Jac popped up with two glasses of wine. She handed one to Connie and downed the other, smirking slightly. 'Have you two considered that Mr Self was possibly wearing those handcuffs when Zosia was conceived?'

As a means of response, Connie opted to throw up all over Jac's heels.

/

'Jac, I really am sorry.' Connie grumbled, watching as the younger doctor dropped her ruined heels in the bin.

'Yeah, you better be! Dirty stop-out.' Jac snarled, stepping closer to Connie. Zoë laughed in delight at the insult and Connie whirled round to face her, before smacking her as hard as she could on the arm.

'Ow!'

Satisfied that Zoë would remain quiet, Connie turned back to Jac. 'I didn't mean to throw up on your shoes. Honestly.'

'Yeah?' Jac's scowl deepened. She eyed Connie up and down furiously, until her gaze fell on Connie's own shoes, and a slow, malicious smile spread across her face. They were Louboutins – heels that Jac had lusted after for most of her adult life. She would never turn down an opportunity to receive a pair of her own; especially not today. 'Prove it.'

'Prove it?' Connie's eyes wavered slightly. 'How?'

'If you're really sorry about throwing up on my shoes, you'll replace them. Right?'

'R-right…'

'So come on then.' Jac made a beckoning gesture. 'Replace them.'

'What?' Connie looked down at her feet. 'You want my Louboutins?'

'Well, I know you have about twelve pairs of them… you won't miss one, will you?'

'I suppose not.' Connie sighed, stepping out of her shoes and kicking them over to Jac. 'Take care of them, won't you?'

Jac grabbed the shoes and pulled them on, a delighted grin spreading across her features. 'Of _course _I will!' She picked her handbag up and balanced it in the crook of her elbow. 'Well, I'm off now…' she paused for a second. 'How are you two getting home?'

'Err…' Zoë shot an unsure look at Connie. 'I don't know…'

'It's hardly likely that you'll be able to drive like that. You're probably way over the limit already anyway.'

'True.' Connie exhaled frustratedly. 'We'll just have to go and find Guy then, and get him to unlock these stupid cuffs….' She shook her arm, and watched sadly as the chain attaching her to Zoë jangled loudly.

'Oh, he's gone.' Jac was staring at her phone screen now, trying to remember the number for the taxi service.

'What?!' Connie and Zoë howled simultaneously. 'Why didn't you stop him?!'

'Because you threw up all over my shoes and I had to get a new pair!' Jac snapped.

'You brought that on yourself you know.'

'Forget about it! Look, I'm going to phone for a taxi, hopefully it'll be here in five minutes. Do you two want to come with me, we can split the cost?'

Connie huffed. 'Fine, whatever. Can we just get a move on and go, my feet are getting cold.' She stepped forwards, but was pulled back by Zoë. 'What?!'

Zoë bit her lip. 'This is going to really annoy you, but….I need to pee.'


End file.
